WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The meeting between United States President Donald Trump's son and Russian nationals at Trump Tower during the campaign last year focused on adoption and the Magnitsky Act, a White House spokesman said on Monday (July 17).

"There was nothing, as far as we know, that would lead anyone to believe that there was anything except for a discussion on adoption and Magnitsky Act," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.

Despite the statement, Mr Donald Trump Jr has acknowledged that he met Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in New York after he was told she might have damaging information about his father's rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

And according to e-mails released by Mr Trump Jr last week, he eagerly agreed to meet Ms Veselnitskaya, who he was told was a Russian government lawyer. Ms Veselnitskaya has said she is a private lawyer and denies having Kremlin ties.

The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Mr Trump's election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel.

Moscow has denied any interference, and the President and his son have denied any collusion.